The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-09-23

MON ~ w. Sl1OlAiA AAN
nre and 7 all the trouble and worry.
Whv shouldn't Ihavemy amusemehVS
too? Of course. | can always nave
the fun oflaughlng at my dear Cousins
weakness behind her back, but l nave
to do it so often that it pals. real
w must strike out something new
1T me think"
For some minutes the young lady
sank into a brown study, puckerln2 ner
white forehead into a thOughttultroWn
and drawing quite a net work OF de,
signs on the carpet with n polnI OF
her shoe At last u brilliant idea
darted into her brain, and she started
to her feet with a cry.
Eureka! That will do. Nothing
could be better. All, what fun III
have Nv dear CIementina, | shall
be able to cry quite with you at last.
You have made me pass many q
quarter OF an hour, in return Tor
for which ! shall play you as pretty a
trick as ever a woman's wit hatch
ed!' And she Ourst into a peal OF
such merry, silver-toned laughter
that the lap.dog reused himself from
his afternoon siesta and barked a
Joyous response.
DURING the next Jew days Miss
Crews manner vas as demure as ever
while in tie presence OF her patron
ess, but when evening came n Mrs.
SOmers betoOk herself to ball, re-
ceptlon or theater as the case might
be, the young lady gave vent to her
native high spirits by mlmlcklng her
cousin before the long mirror in Glenn
entina's dressing room, Waiting with
the lap-dog, who loudly resented the
liberty, or singing sprightly chansO-
nettes in her fresh, clear tones. Mary
had been educated in a frst-ratePar-
islam school, and had contrived to
imbibe a good deal Of French esprit
along with more solid accomplish
ments. But Oftener she fell to needle
work with p~ralsewOrthy ardOr, and
when thus employed her spirits rose
higher than ever. She would often
laugh aloud from sheer inability to
keep her mirth to herself, as she pic
tured and re.pictured in her busy
brain what ~Clementina, would say
and how CIementina would look when
her humble companions brilliant idea
was fully matured and carried out.
The rivalry of the two widows did
not abate as the days went on. tltz
was seldom to be seen without one or
other by his side. Bets were freely
laid on the event at the clubs,
the odds varying as blonde
or brunette was in the as
cendant. Clementina fattered her
self that she would be in first at the
winning post, while Minna was equally
confident that to her would fall the
honor of carrying off the Brandon
sweepstakes.
Little Fitz could but feel fattered
by the open admiration of these two
charming ladies. When chaffed about
it at his club, he only laughed and
stroked his mustache complacently,
for he was extremely good humored,
and even the scowls of Maitland and
Carnforth did not ruff1e him. But he
had evidently not made up his mind
which of the ladies was to be Mrs.
Fitzgerald Brandon. He lunched
one day with ~Clementina, but
dined with Minna the next; hesat the
whole evening in the opera-box of one,
but he was certain to be seen in the
Row next morning with the other;
and SO the balance OF power was
Both ladies were at their wits end.
How vas this oscillating swain to be
secured? 1t was so intolerable to see
him flirting openly with Minna after
he had all but proposed
the day before to ~ClemeptIna;
and vice versa. OF course every
one was amused but the two victims,
and they were really miserable. How
ever, an event to which both had
long looked forward would, they hoped
bring matters toa crisis. Lady Mabel
Smith was going to give a ball masque
at her charming suburban villa on
the Thames, and the widows had
devised ravishing toilets for the occa-
Little Fitz would surely be sub
at last; and there would be so
many opportunities for him to pro-
pose in those delightful gardens. slop-
to the river, and lit with colored
q la South Kensington.
The eventful evening came at last.
Mrs. Desmond, arrayed as Nine. de
Pompadour, in rose colored velvet
and diamonds, and Mrs. Somers as
Marie Antoinette, in pale blue SATIN
and pearls-arrived almost simultan-
eously at Lady Mabel's. Little Fitz,
to whom both ladies had, OF course,
confided the secret Of her incognito,
had got himself up very m~agniicently
as Lord Louis the XIV, and this Mrs.
Desmond considered as almost tanta-
mount to q declaration.
The ball was q most brilliant affair;
the weather was everything it should
be. warm, still, and moonless; the illu-
limitations we're gorgeous, the music
good, the dresses admirable, and the
wine sapcrllattiiye. Lady Mabel s guests
Cook their pleasure with less insular
sadness and more of continental live
liness than usual. Whether it was the
novelty and darino Of tha thinn ~